Tower of Bone
by Blood.Stained.Fingers
Summary: AU "I had considered raising her myself ... in a tower of bone...I think we'd have got a good eighty years out of her, before she passed of her own accord." In which the vampires win and Eve lives in her tower of bone.


**Disclaimer – I do not own Being Human.**

**A/N – Sorry, no beta reader I'm afraid but I have checked it and caught as many mistakes as I could find but undoubtedly there will be a few more.**

**This is set approximately after 'Puppy Love'.**

**Tower of Bone**

"_I had considered raising her myself, she'd have been fed, worshipped, kept safe in a tower of bone…Oh...I think we'd have got a good eighty years out of her, before she passed of her own accord._" - _Mr Snow_

They came in the middle of the night, shattering the silence by smashing down the front door and like a flood of black beetles vampires poured into the house. There was a flurry of activity as the household ran downstairs, Tom looking sleepy around the edges but alert enough to hold a stake aloft and Hal looking distinctly dishevelled but upon seeing the vampires his back straightened, a flair of something dark in his eyes and he made to speak angrily. That was until a figure strolled in through the splinters of wood, smiling coldly showing his rotten teeth. Hal's posture instantly became a little more submissive, breathing out sharply as he eyed the figure warily.

"Good evening." The vampire greeted, "I hope we aren't disturbing you?" He asked congenially as he walked around the tacky bar running his fingers across it. He looked at Hal and then at Tom and Annie, "For the benefit of your…" He rolled his tongue around his mouth as if tasting the word was as foul as the taste of his teeth, "_friends_, Hal, I shall introduce myself." He turned to fully face them before saying simply. "I am known as Mr Snow."

Tom was about to open his mouth to speak but Hal's hand shot out, smacking his side in warning.

"Go pack your bags – all of you – and bring the baby with you." Mr Snow directed, placidly and without a hint of threat, but none the less Hal set of with nary a glance at Tom or Annie - almost hurrying up the stairs.

The pair of them were shocked into silence and they moved out of his way – Annie blocking the stairs and Tom in the doorway to the bar. Mr Snow frowned at them looking displeased.

"Do it, or I shall have my associates here do it for you." He looked at his rotten nails before looking above Tom's head at Annie, he smiled grotesquely, "And they might not be as gentle with your little bundle of joy as you would like." He tilted his head in contemplation and Annie felt a tendril of fear curl up her spine. She glared but understood in this instance that compromise was the only way – they couldn't fight their way out of the house with this amount of vampires in it. She nodded once, snatching Tom's vest and she tugged him up the stairs silently, ignoring his protests and only reminding him once about keeping Eve safe. He packed without complaint after that.

They were forcibly moved to a vampire stronghold where Annie and Hal were locked in a spacious room with nothing but Eve's Moses basket for furniture. Tom had been separated from them by the cars they travelled in and Annie hadn't a clue what they planned to do to him.

Annie didn't know where Tom was (and she didn't know she would never see him again) and then Hal had been taken away by Mr Snow.

He had left willingly enough but Annie knew his face well enough now to know that he was scared – quite terrified in actuality and somehow Annie knew next time she saw Hal it would not be _Hal_.

She scooped up Eve and rocked her gently trying to distract herself until Mr Snow came to visit them a couple of hours later. He talked mostly at her as she sat in stony silence clutching her baby with a fierce protectiveness. Mr Snow told her the devastating truth -

_Eve was not going to save the world._

_She was going to cause the vampires to win the war._

_Neither of them would ever be leaving vampire custody again – humanity was going to be damned._

What disturbed Annie the most was Mr Snow's promise of new and better accommodation for Eve – their little _trophy_ - made of human bone.

**~Tower of Bone~**

When Eve was a year old they were moved to a tower of bone – like Mr Snow promised. It was a beautifully built three story fortress with a startling white east wing where bone bled into the cracks of cement until a tower had been built into the building. Annie would have thought it was beautiful if she knew it wasn't bone – human bone. It was almost fairy-tale like with the big iron gates and walls eight foot high around it. Annie looked at Hal, who was apparently to stay with them for a few years whilst matters were sorted out before he took over England's management, but he just gestured for her to move forward. Annie sighed and adjusted her hold of Eve before walking forward, taking a deep breath for courage and crossing the threshold. The courtyard was immaculately planned with beautiful winding paths and flowers – a far cry from the outside world which was full of weeds, cracked pavements and blood. Inside the actual building was even further removed from the real world – old furniture carved from expensive wood was everywhere – it felt like Annie had stepped into an old stately home, she refrained however from uttering even a syllable of awe – she wasn't happy with being kept here, wasn't happy with what had happened to the world.

…_But what she could she do? She hated how complacent she had become in all this._

It was Eve's room that chilled Annie the most; it was at the top of the tower of bone, up many steps of ribs and craniums, it had many femurs as the bannister. The furniture was all white in the room – but not bone and there was a large window seat with a traditional style tower window – fortunately with glass. It was a fabulous room, in a macabre way, and no one could deny it.

The other vampires had left on their journey through the house, each into their own rooms, over twenty vampires would be living here at any one time – there truly was no escape.

"The window is locked – it can only be opened when someone is here with you." Hal told Annie– he shifted a little awkwardly when she glared at him. Though back on blood there was the occasional trace of the old Hal in him – especially around Annie and Eve.

"A vampire, you mean." She scoffed and rocked Eve a little as she made a disgruntled sound.

"You are safe here, Annie." Hal said more a statement than a condolence. "Most of the vampires here are old ones – or at least two hundred and fifty years old."

Annie sneered a little as she took a seat in the old rocking chair with Eve. She frowned slightly, biting a little on the inside of her lips before managing to say "So, this…this is really it?" She looked at him; face taunt, lips held tightly into a straight line and eyes burning in anger and fear.

Hal did absolutely nothing for an infinite moment, where they held each other's eyes and reassessed each other, before he nodded – once, sharply and made to leave but Annie suddenly called out.

"Hal!" He paused and turned back to the ghost and she stood "I think there is something wrong with Eve's eyes." She said quickly.

Hal looked at her quizzically, "She seemed fine earlier – she was focussing on me." He looked down at the baby cradled in Annie's arms and saw the little girl watching him with big blue eyes, she smiled when she realised she had caught his attention.

"No – I mean she barely ever looks at me." Annie defined, as she put the child on the sofa in the room – and waved a hand in front of Eve's face. The child caught the movement but looked all around Annie and then through her – clearly not seeing anything.

Hal moved closer and told Annie to do it again – the same results occurred. Eve was seeing Annie in her peripheral vision but not anywhere else.

"Annie," He hesitated, be cruel to be kind or protest ignorance but he decided out of the respect he had developed for Annie that he would be honest. "She is a human child – most humans cannot see ghosts."

He kept his eyes on Eve who was pulling faces at him and trying to reach him with her small hands. He heard Annie's sharp inhale, could see the trembling hands that were resting on Eve's feet and could almost feel the waves of agony pouring off her. "Oh," She managed, choked up, "That would explain it…"

"I could be wrong." Hal offered feebly after seeing Annie wiping under her eyes with her grey sleeved cardigan, he really didn't want to upset her again, especially after her outburst when she found out Tom had died in a dog fight.

"You're not." The new voice made them both startle a little and they both turned to it. Mr Snow stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back and he was smiling (_that damned smile_). "I'm afraid, Annie, that she will not be able to see you when she is older." He crossed the threshold leisurely, "She will probably be able to see you occasionally – at least whilst she is a child." He observed Eve shrewdly, "Children are always a little more aware of supernaturals than adults." He turned to Annie. "Enjoy her whilst you can Annie – she'll grow out of you." He touched Hal's shoulder. "Come, Hal. We have a meeting; you can come back here later." He walked out briskly and Hal briefly debated what to say to Annie who was struggling against tears.

"We'll talk when I return…we'll figure something out, Annie." He said, it sounded weak even to his ears but Annie nodded silently. He swallowed awkwardly before turning and hurrying out of the room – pride be damned.

**~Tower of Bone~**

Hal was reading to Eve, she was sitting on his lap comfortably as he read softly to her. She was two years old now and was quite determined to suck her thumb whilst she listened to Hal – he on the other hand was quite determined that she was not going to put her hand anywhere near her mouth.

"Let her, Hal." Annie murmured from where she was sitting in the rocking chair.

"This is a first edition." Hal said shortly, as he gently pulled Eve's sticky fingers away from the crisp pages. Eve tilted her head back from where she was leaning against his chest and pouted at him. He just rose his eyebrows "That will not work on me." He told her simply and put his hand on her stomach to secure her as he brought the book back down to his lap to continue.

"How long will this last?" Annie asked, looking at him and pulling at the sleeve of her grey cardigan anxiously. She was paler now than she had been, she was slowly starting to fade – Eve sometimes would see her for periods of time, hear her it seemed but then would suddenly not be able to see her. It was like Annie would just disappear from her sight. It crippled Annie at those moments and occasionally upset Eve. "You. Coming here?" Annie clarified.

"I do not know." His brow furrowed. "Soon there will be nothing left in me that wishes to come here." He checked his watch and closed the book setting it to his side. "One cycle can take a couple of years to flush out the previous one." He got up and passed over Eve to Annie who took her happily once she noticed Eve focus on her. "This could be my last visit or there could be twenty more." He shrugged and stroked back Eve's blonde hair in goodbye.

"Goodbye Annie" He smiled slightly, the _almost there _kindness that he had in his eyes when around Annie and Eve fading back into the cold vampire stare that everyone else saw. Collecting his book he went down the stairs and disappeared from sight.

**~Tower of Bone~**

When Eve is six she loses sight of Annie – it is as though she just woke up one morning and Annie had flown the coop. Eve has always been aware of Annie, the woman in grey who was pale - almost translucent, that she sometimes sees and talks to. She is the closest to a mother and friend Eve has. She always greets her in the morning and when she isn't there it frightens Eve.

Eve panicked and called out to her, jumping out of her bed and running around her room in desperation, checking hiding places and any crevice no matter how small.

She began to get really distressed, big wet tears falling from her large blue eyes when she didn't find her. Suddenly the door opened and Uncle Hal was there, looking at her with concern. "Eve, what is wrong?" He asked as he strode into the room and picked her up easily, he had learnt a lot about children in the last few years having to look after Eve himself seeing as it became harder and harder for Annie to look after a child who saw her less and less. Instantaneously she buried her head against his collar, breathing heavily and leaving a giant wet patch on his skin and his shoulder. Apart of him cringed internally at the warm wet patch. "I –I –I can't find A-Annie!" She choked out, her tiny fists tightening around clutches of his pristine shirt.

"Pardon?" He sounded shocked as he focused on something in front of him. Of course he could see Annie, who was flapping her hands and crying. _Too soon, too soon to lose her baby._

Hal looked stuck for a moment before making a split second decision.

"Eve," He said softly, rubbing her back soothingly, "Sometimes as we get older we lose things…people too." He consoled, sitting down on Eve's bed, the little girl still sobbing against his throat. "Annie -" He began but he was interrupted by Mr Snow walking into the room.

He smiled the sharp smile that neither calms nor chills Hal, before he continued on for Hal smoothly. "Eve, little one, everyone loses their imaginary friend at some point." He holds out his hands and Hal reluctantly unhooked Eve from his neck and passed her to Mr Snow. She latched on to him like a limpet. "I'm sorry, Child. I truly am but it is a part of growing up – we all have to let go of childish notions." He cupped her face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He shushed her lightly and when Hal opened his mouth Mr Snow gave him a sharp glance. "Even your Uncle Hal has had to give up his childish dreams – haven't you Hal?" Mr Snow turns the child to him, her large eyes watering, lips trembling – she looks like a little wraith and despite Hal's dark nature he still retained that little bit of humanity in him that prompted him to be kind to her. "Yes," He smiled, though it was strained, as she was set down and went over to him, her little warm hands clutching his cold ones. "We do have to give up things we love in life."

She looks so forlorn that he picks her up and lets her cuddle him. He looked at Annie who is sobbing by the window, doubled over and howling as though she was in physical pain and she was getting even paler. Hal shut his eyes, pressing his face ever so slightly into Eve's fair and silky hair. It would be crueller to Eve for her to know that Annie was still here but she couldn't be seen by her.

He almost shuddered at the amount of noise that Annie was making – it was so very painful to listen to her. His saving grace was Mr Snow who had been watching the seen with a look that could be mistaken for benevolence "Hal, how about you take Eve and get her some food from the kitchens?" He patted the girl's back. "I am sure something sweet will cheer her up – will it not?" He asked, smiling when he saw the child nod a little.

Hal sent one last cautious and pitying look to Annie before securing his hold on Eve and leaving with her.

"What did you expect Annie?" Mr Snow asked, straightening his suit jacket slightly. "You said so yourself – she is just a normal little girl." He watched the ghost lean on the wall still sobbing before adding nastily "Normal little girls cannot see ghosts."

He left after those parting words and Annie slid to the floor crying for hours knowing her little girl could no longer see her, Eve had always had some awareness of her - never had Eve not being able to sense her been so absolute. In those few hours, Annie faded completely, silently and alone, so when Hal and Eve returned it was for the first time in years they did so to an empty room.

**~Tower of Bone~**

Eve was ten when she had to play with Hetty – she didn't want to particularly but she was lonely in her tower, so she subjected herself to play with the immortal ten year old.

She doesn't like Hetty at all – she told Hal so one night when he was tucking her into bed when she was seven, he had looked horribly amused by her stage whispered secret before he smiled and told her he didn't like her much either. Eve made him promise not to tell anyone and he had agreed – as long as she kept his secret in return.

Playing with Hetty only reaffirmed that view and after two hours of Hetty ordering her around, Hetty brushing her hair (trying to pull it out) and pushing her around that Eve declared she had had enough and ran away to find Uncle Hal. Hetty hissed viciously at her, not used to being told no, eyes black and fangs bared – more like a cat with pigtails than a little girl and proceeded to follow Eve scowling, arms crossed over her chest.

Eve found Hal by pure chance as she ran down the corridor and she darted behind his legs, glaring at Hetty from her hiding spot. Hetty's eyes return to a normal colour and she looked at Hal worriedly, judging him carefully before turning around and hurrying the other way.

Eve let out a giant sigh of relief and cautiously looked up at Hal, who was eyeing her in amusement. He held out his hand to her, thankfully not asking for an explanation, and she took it. He continued walking and told her "I was just on my way to Mr Snow – he will be delighted to see you, Eve."

She skipped along beside him, excited to see Mr Snow – he always told her exciting stories about history – sometimes about Cleopatra and sometimes about Elizabeth Báthory – with whom he was good friends with until she got caught (quite literally red handed) and was punished with life imprisonment in her castle. _"I was no longer able to see her," Mr Snow had sighed sadly, "Too many guards." He explained almost forlornly._ She grinned and moved a little faster, tugging Hal along excitedly. "Do you think he will tell me another story?" She asked, almost giddy with the prospect, she let go of Hal's hand and turned around, walking backwards.

"I'm sure, once he has dealt with business, he would love to tell you a story." Hal commented blandly but the corners of his lips twitched upwards so Eve took it as a good sign. She grabbed his hand again and hurried him along to the meeting hall that Mr Snow was always in. She was always glad to have an adult back – at least they were more fun than Hetty.

**~Tower of Bone~**

Eve first saw death when she was thirteen and it scared her. She was too sheltered in the tattered world and all the bad things out there were hidden behind closed doors – by Mr Snow or Uncle Hal. So seeing the death of a vampire for the first time scares her more than she wants to admit.

Uncle Hal killed him – but that vampire was going to kill her and Hal was only protecting her, but it still frightened her.

She had been in her court yard watering the flowers – if only for something to do – when a vampire burst from the trees, eyes black and fangs bared. She screamed loudly and shrilly, dropping the watering can causing water to splash across the patio and up Eve's bare legs. Staggering backwards as fast as she could she slipped on the wet ground and into the sloppy mud.

But then Hal was there with a thick shaft of broken wood which impaled the other vampire's chest. There was surprisingly little blood, just a small welling around the implement until the whole body exploded into ash.

Eve made a small sound, a mixture of a sob and squeak of terror. Hal turned around slowly, taking out a satin, snow white handkerchief and wiping his right hand with it, collecting the blood that was running down his fingers. He walked over to her, gesturing imperiously with his now clean hand for her to get up. She sniffled, but did so and felt rather ashamed of her now messy appearance was.

He sighed with fondness and took one of her wrists in his much larger hand and gently used his soiled handkerchief to wipe the clumped soil off her palm, and then he proceeded to do clean the other hand.

"There now – all clean, hm?" He asked, a smile playing about the corners of his lips, but his eyes remained that brutal shark like cold. He put his hand on the back of Eve's head and directed her towards the house, casually dropping the dirty linin onto the pile of ash and clothes. She managed to keep up with his pace and suddenly on a childish impulse she snatched his hand like when she was a young child and holds on tight.

She sighs in relief when Hal just squeezes her hand lightly.

She never found out why that vampire tried to kill her.

**~Tower of Bone~**

At fifteen Eve wanted out of her little white fortress, but the walls of elaborate carved bone were so high that she couldn't see over them and there was no exit that wasn't guarded.

Eve hated not being let out, she had become bored of the little bubble she lived in – she was curious about the outside world, though other vampires told her it was not a nice place any longer for special girls – and she was a _very_ special girl.

Fifteen, full of teen angst and being denied this one thing was a bad combination. She paced and paced and _paced_ the width of her room.

Then she had found Hal and paced in front of him, again and again – then she started adding in little huffs, angered sighs and groans of frustration.

He didn't look up from his book. Eve waited, arms crossed before rolling her eyes angrily and throwing herself with force into her chair.

After a mere minute in silence Eve gives up "Hal!" She whined, slapping her hands on the chair.

"I will not talk with you until you have calmed down and are finished with this bout of childishness." He said shortly, turning the page – he didn't even look at her.

She stamped her foot angrily (and would later deny it) before saying "Hal! I want to go out!"

He placed his book into his lap and glared at her. "Then go out! You do not need me to hold your hand anymore!"

"No!" She threw her hands up as if asking for guidance from some deity. "I mean _out_ out – out of this fortress!" She moaned.

Hal paused, his whole body freezing into complete stillness for a few moments. He moved again suddenly, as though coming back to life. "You cannot." Was all he said – and that was that. She begged, she pleaded and then she started to throw things around.

Eve even went to Mr Snow and he denied her too. Although she liked Mr Snow and he was always kind to her, she did not push it – there was a warning note in his tone that told her not to – so she left it miserably.

She was also punished for smashing up the furniture by being locked in her room for two weeks.

**~Tower of Bone~**

When she was eighteen Eve finally felt like an adult – and she wondered would they let her out this year? She doubted it but she shall ask, for if they didn't this year it meant they probably never would. She looked at the new handmade clothes she had been gifted with this year. They are gorgeous – all dresses again but Eve thought that is one battle she shall never win. After all many of the vampires still lived in the 18th Century ideal of long dresses and high collars. She should consider herself lucky to have dresses just above the knees.

Eve noticed Hetty watching Eve's new clothes with envy – she watched Eve with envy too – who has long blonde silky hair and a curvy figure. She is jealous because Eve gets to grow up – not just a little girl, who isn't even treated like a little girl anymore.

Eve grinned when she saw how jealous Hetty was of her green silk dress and if only to be petty decides to wear it to dinner that night.

_Everyone_ compliments her on her new dress and Eve loved it until Hetty mutters (_loudly_) "Yes, we must keep our _trophy_ dressed nicely."

Eve felt like she had been punched in her stomach, everyone paused and turned to Hetty angrily. Mr Snow outright sneered and gestured with a slight, sharp twitch of his head for her to leave. Everyone watched her do so and then the room was full of condolences but Eve heard none of them – she knew she was a trophy but to be called it like _that_ – it really hurt. She politely excused herself and went to her room. She felt oddly winded and her chest tight, it was only after a burning trail of heat ran down her left cheek did she realise that she was crying.

Hal and Mr Snow checked on her later – when she had been gone from the party for an hour – she had taken out the pins in her hair and gotten into her pyjamas. Twin smudges of black were smeared down her cheeks and on the back of her hands.

She didn't say anything to them and made a point of turning her face away from them. No one spoke for a while and then they left as quietly as they came.

The next morning at breakfast no one mentions the event and conversation is about mundane things.

Eve never hears the word trophy in regards to her again.

She also never sees Hetty again.

**~Tower of Bone~**

Eve ran away when she one twenty-one.

It was more luck than anything else that allowed her out the front gates and into the real world. Unfortunately she chose the wrong day to escape her tower and ended up wondering into a nearby 'rough area' – it had recently been targeted by vampires who were nipping a rebellion in the bud and there hadn't been a 'clean up' yet. That was what was left of humanity – that was really it.

Eve soon found out that she hated it.

The outside world was bleak (understatement) – even more so the day she ran away. It was pouring with rain, the wind blowing giant rippling sheets of it continuously into her face. It bounced off the ground and ran in rivers down the streets, only getting stopped by the bodies littering the roads and clogging the gutters. _She detests it all._

There was a smell in the air, carried in the rain and it turned Eve's stomach violently, the finest food cooked by the finest vampire chef spewed from her mouth, some landing with a loud splat on the floor, some caught by the strong wind and taken away in the gale. _(She'll only learn later that she was smelling the decomposition of her fellow man, her kindred that day.)_

She was also freezing, only wearing a blue summer dress and small slip on shoes (she preferred trousers but in a household where your youngest carer is four hundred years old makes it hard to find anyone who does not believe women belong in dresses.) She has also never really been out in the rain – after the first few droplets stained the ground she would be ushered in, back to the warm, dry house – so being out in this was so very new and unusual for her.

Eve pushed her blond hair out of her face, it clung to her hand and the rest of it was plastered to her skull. Her plait was a dead weight pulling on her scalp, the thick glossy strands water logged and sodden.

She soldiered on staggering in the furious winds. She wanted to go home but she was not sure she could – what if they turned her away for being so ungrateful in the first place?

She thought of sneaking into one of the houses on the road to escape the brutal elements but the houses here were empty, great big old houses that were boarded up – Eve tried to get into one but found that her arms were too weak – shaking from the cold and not a scrap of muscle on either of them.

It was at that point in time, rattling on the nailed plywood, that Eve wondered what her life would have been like had she been out _here_.

Would she have been strong?

Ruthless?

A leader?

Willing to do whatever was necessary for survival?

She could see werewolf blood painted over the threshold of one house, much like when the slaves of Egypt painted lamb's blood on their doorposts to protect themselves from God's anger. The werewolf blood when wet was potent and it worked – once Hal came back with half his face burned from a bowl of werewolf blood being thrown at him. It had healed up in a couple of weeks but it had still caused significant damage to him for a while. Eve looked at the black, flaking blood that the rainfall hadn't touched, she picked at it with her finger watching it crumble dispassionately. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she leave her home?

She was just a stupid, naïve and spoiled little girl. Eve huddled into the corner of the porch, where the rudimentary brickwork that was half destroyed protected her most from the worst of the rainfall.

She wanted to cry – but refused to do so at her age – her pride even in the dismal circumstances was much too strong to give into the urge just yet. Mostly she was ashamed of her ignorance – how did she miss something this big? Why had they hidden it from her?

Why did it have to rain as well – especially when she was already out – no time to go back for more clothes, but truly, when had she ever needed more? She never really went out at all.

Whilst she bemoaned her fate and her stupidity, which could have been minutes or hours, Eve suddenly heard someone approaching. She believed it to be a human or a werewolf – no vampire she knew had a limp.

Either way this person was most likely not a friend.

She found herself holding her breath and waiting for an infinite amount of seconds.

"'ello girly." She heard from above her, voice gravely, rough and slightly lisping, she looked up from her huddled position to see a toothless old codger looking down at her, his head through where the window of the porch should have been. She startled and scrambled back hurriedly, ignoring the sting of brick dust and rumble on the ground, until she bumped into another pair of legs…legs in filthy (used to be beige) trousers. She looked up and saw another man who was leering down at her through his one eye. The other a bloody, black hole in his face. She eyed the giant 'H' branded in his arm with trepidation; despite being human she didn't think he ought to be trusted. He looked old, Eve thought, but probably older than he actually was, but no less deadly.

Eve managed to jump to her shaky feet quickly, her legs dying to buckle underneath her in her tiredness.

The younger man chuckled, displaying crooked teeth – one a brown black colour that had Eve unconsciously run her tongue over her perfect, white, straight teeth in disgust and discomfort.

"Look at that, Robbie!" He said, turning to his companion still peering in through the hole in the wall. "Never seen a girl so well kept around here before – haves you?" His voice is gritty and his tongue slurring slightly.

"Yeah – aint seen one likes that for years." 'Robbie' agreed, eyeing up Eve's bare legs. Eve tugged on the dress, it reached her knees anyway but she wished it reached the floor instead. "Who's been looking after you likes that, girly?" He asked, his shrewd little piggy eyes swivelled in their sockets, taking stock of what Eve was wearing.

Unfortunately the tone and looks stirred up her mother's anger and Eve found herself asking in a very Hal like voice and tone "I beg your pardon?"

It was a mistake because three individual eyes suddenly seemed even more intent on her than before, "Oh, we haves ourselves a posh girly!" Robbie cried, staggering around and into the confined porch. "Someone wills be looking for her, theys will." He nudged the younger man with a queer look on his face. "Thing is, people don'ts responds well to ransoms no more – don't really care, no money, you see?" He turned back to Eve, and she was repulsed by the look in his eyes. "So no one wills minds if we damage her a bit." He grinned darkly and lecherously, his younger counterpart laughing amusedly.

Throwing out Mr Snow or Hal's name as threats fled her thoughts as Eve completely panicked and she backed up against the damaged wall, hard, as though through sheer force she would be able to push herself through concrete.

The old man tried to snatch her arm to pull her closer but she batted his hand away angrily. He scowled and tried again, but Eve was more vicious in her hit that time.

It turned into a vicious scuffle that left Eve to bear with the bruises on her arms for weeks. It was by pure chance that she spotted a sharp shard of broken brick, sitting conveniently on the ledge, she snatched it up in desperation, swung her arm with the sharp edge of the brick exposed from her small, tightly clenched fist.

Luckily, it hit its mark and blood sprayed as the old man's face was spliced open. The wound was ragged and would probably get infected but otherwise it was a rather clean cut. The younger man was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide and the blood dripping off his shocked face, Eve took her chance in that second.

She clutched the weapon tightly and staggered to her feet, jumping into the rain and it was like being slapped with a wet blanket. She was blind in the dark night and cold water but she ran as best and as fast as she could.

A few seconds later, she heard the younger one chase her, his footfalls heavy and his breathing was laboured. However even when she looked back she could not see him as the rain blinded her.

Suddenly though she saw a cars headlights, and wondered if she could run past it – her pursuer hopefully would get hit.

As she ran across its path however she tripped on a corpse littering the road. Her bare knees scrapped the rough tarmac, and she hissed as she felt the skin being peeled of her knees. By some miracle the driver has seen her and the car stopped right in front of her. She noticed that the car was brand new.

Expensive model.

Vampire's car.

In the dim light from the car she saw the angered man running towards her, just as Hal stepped out the back of the car. The man didn't get a chance to falter as Hal had snatched the man by his shirt, swung him round and had his fangs in his throat. There was a horrific sound of pain that emerged from the man's clenched teeth. He was drained in a matter of seconds. Twin patches of blood either side of Hal's mouth were the only bits left of that man.

Hal dropped him by the side of the car and turned to look at her.

Eve has seen him irritated.

She has seen him pissed off.

However she had never seen him look so angry, there in the rain, three piece suit and a dead man at his feet - he looked like a demon.

Eve was very scared.

"Get in the car." Was all he said, and Eve's eyes looked all around, but she would never dare disobey Hal when he was in this mood. Still she clutched her amateur weapon and pushed herself up. Her skinned knees ached and burned as she hobbled to the car and slipped in without a word.

Hal slid in a second later and closed the door. It was only when the car moved again, two bumps in the road for two bodies did Eve realise how warm the car was, how cold she was and how much she wanted to cry. She huddled in her seat – not caring about the blood smears her knees would leave. She noticed she had lost a shoe when running so she knocked the other one into the well behind the front seats. One foot was red from her shoe, the other red from her scraped sole. She lay down on the back seats, kept her feet well away from Hal and curled up in a foetal position and despite herself started to cry. Silent at first, then giant raking sobs that she could not stop, she pressed her fist to her mouth to try and stop the pitiful sounds but nothing worked. Until Hal put his hand on her calf to still her shaking – that was as good as forgiveness and Eve found herself calming a little, remaining silent on the way home.

Mr Snow was there when they get back, Hal silently behind her, and Eve felt like a disobedient child when Mr Snow scolded her – a part of her wanted to yell _fuck you! I'm not a child!_ But of course she always will be to them and her throat closes around the words _fuck you_ – one doesn't swear at the king of vampires.

So, though she knew that Mr Snow probably could read every nasty thing she thought about him just by looking at her Eve apologised sullenly and was taken to her room. It surprised her that Hal cleaned her wounds and inspected the bruises – normally one not so high in the food chain did menial work. It was only after Hal has managed to prise open her hand that she realised she was still clutching the piece of brick. Hal frowned at it, and at her bloody hand which had been cut all over due to her tight hold, he placed the brick on the side and continued cleaning the cuts.

Eve grabbed the brick in the other hand – and Hal just raised his eyebrows in confusion but said no more about it. Eve developed a terrible cold after the events of that day and for a while they all feared it would turn into pneumonia, fortunately it didn't but Eve never put that brick down during her illness. Eve later hid the brick and kept it and she was never sure why.

She keeps it until the day she dies.

**~Tower of Bone~**

When Eve turns thirty five she wonders what will happen to her – she hasn't done a thing in her life and she has no human friends – no real friends at all. Hal, who she still considers her uncle in her heart is more a companion than a father figure now – but he is so much older than her. Problems for her are beyond comprehension for him seeing as if they happened, they happened so long ago. Five hundred years and counting…she really has no one.

She is the most educated human in the land, probably the healthiest, one of the few without a brand. The only human who is equal to the vampires.

She wants to see the world outside of the walls again but now she thinks she is too afraid for the talks of resistance have died a considerable amount and the world is full of people who are becoming docile and demented and she doesn't think there is a place for her.

She is too sane.

Too apathetic to the suffering of others.

She is too spoilt from a life of luxury among vampires.

She is thirty five and has _nothing_ to show from it.

Eve picks up the book that Hal gave her for her birthday –it is not new like the ones he has gotten her previously, it was his own book – he had apparently read from this shortly after she had been moved to her tower –when she was an infant. She caresses the cover gently a small smile burgeoning as she thinks of her youth, and for the first time in many years thinks of her imaginary friend Annie.

**~Tower of Bone~**

Eve turns fifty seven and for once Hal hasn't shown up to wish her a happy birthday – Mr Snow apologises for him, saying he was ill – a bout of conscience, he called it. Eve frowns but Mr Snow says soon he will be himself again.

Eve smiles a little sadly – Hal was the only constant in her life and she was rather gutted that he missed the only really important day to her – there were other celebrations but they didn't interest her and the vampires mostly enjoyed them for the blood.

Later that evening, whilst she was looking out of the window at the night sky, nursing a glass of wine she heard the most angered and almost pained _yowl_ echo through the still air. After the yowl finished it was followed by a list of curses that made Eve raise her eyebrows as she took a sip from her wine.

_And she thought Hal was a gentleman…_

Eve turned as her bedroom door opened and Mr Snow came in, he smiled at the particular curses being shouted. "As you can hear Eve, Hal is not feeling very well at the moment." His veiny hand briefly touched her shoulder. Another particularly vicious curse filtered through the night. "Not something you would want directed at you I am sure – especially on your birthday."

She shook her head wordlessly. "He is alright though – isn't he?" She asked, as she set the glass on the window sill.

"Yes, my dear, absolutely fine. Hal goes through cycles and trying to stop one running into the other is hard work. Normally, I would let it run its course but at this current time it would be most …productive for Hal to remain as he is." Eve frowned worriedly as Mr Snow casually refilled her wine. "How about we take your mind of Hal for a while?" He asked and he shut the window. "Would you like a game of chess?" He enquired mildly.

Eve suddenly smiled, "But I can never beat you at that!" She took the glass being offered to her and got up from her perch. "You know every move I think of before I make it!" She pointed one finger at him from around her wine but she walked over to the chess board excitedly.

He looked amused as he sat opposite her. "I'll try my very best to be blind to your every move then, Eve."

She smiled, crow's feet appearing at the corners of her eyes, before saying cheekily, "You do that."

**~Tower of Bone~**

"Do you remember Annie, Mr Snow?" Eve, all of eighty years old asked, as she reached for her delicate tea cup with old decrepit hands. He passed it to her, supporting it slightly as her hands shook. "I do – so very clearly." She continued softly, her paper thin skin creasing around her blind eyes as she smiled fondly.

"Ah, of course I do, my dear." He said softly, smiling with an almost genuine affection. "But do not worry; we all have had imaginary friends when we are young."

There are no longer any chess games to play and Eve is much too old to do anything physical now. She had aged poorly, bad hips, eyes and heart. Mr Snow said it was her mother's fault from all the monthly changes Eve had to go through when she was _in-utero_. Eve knew her mother couldn't help that though so she didn't blame anyone.

Hal was different now as well – still on blood though the stopping of the 'cycles' had changed him slightly and Eve found it hard to connect with him again. She felt as if she had missed something vital in their relationship – something that couldn't be replaced or repaired. It made her miserable and Eve was beginning to feel tired.

Eve knew her time was coming soon and she was ready, she spent her life doing nothing and she had both loved and hated it.

And she will never be sure whether she would have changed it if she had been given the choice.

Eve smiles once again, a little sadly; it has always been her alone, apart from 'Uncle' Hal and Mr Snow, always her alone in this world…just her in her tower of bone.

**A/N – Please review and tell me what you think – this one shot has been bugging me for a while so I decided to go for it.**

**So, let me know what you think :)**


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